Hong Kong has expelled four democratic opposition politicians from the SAR parliament. The Hong Kong government announced that Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki, Dennis Kwok and Kenneth Leung were stripped of their seats following a Beijing decision today.
Shortly before, China’s state news agency Xinhua had published a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress that Hong Kong MPs could be stripped of their seats without a court order if they advocate Hong Kong’s independence, engage in activities that endanger national security or assist foreign forces interfere in internal affairs.
MPs also excluded from election
The four now excluded politicians had already been excluded from the parliamentary elections in September. However, this was later canceled and postponed until next year. In the run-up to the decision to expel the MPs, an alliance of 19 Democratic MPs threatened on Monday to also withdraw from parliament.
As the Hong Kong newspaper „South China Morning Post“ reported, the four MPs had participated in filibusters. Constant inquiries prevent a vote on proposed legislation.
China passed a controversial „security law“ for Hong Kong at the end of June. It is directed against activities that China sees as subversive, separatist or terrorist. It is the most extensive encroachment on Hong Kong’s autonomy to date and gives China’s state security extensive powers.
